Bald patches on donor area (Photo)

Question

I have had FUE with 3,600 Grafts and my donor area grew back nicely by 2 weeks but recently hairs are falling out on the donor area leaving very patchy areas. Is this normal? My doctor advised me to apply 5% minoxidil twice daily and assured me it will grow back in 2 months. Will my hair grow back eventually?

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

Bald patches are not normal.  It is best to see a doctor for an examination and diagnosis.  You can't treat it unless you know what it is.

Hussain Rahal, MD · Answer

You have either 1) shock-loss in donor from over injections, 2) possibly collateral damage of donor due to either over harvesting or scar tissue from larger than average punch size combined with large extraction number of grafts. You should consult with the physician who performed your surgery and have him look at your healing and also get a second opinion if you have a local doctor you can see.

Jayanthy Ravindran, MS, DNB, MRCS · Answer

Hey there,Bald patches at donor area are not normal. It could be either due to shock loss or over harvest. As per your information, you had good hair regrowth and then it started falling out, so hopefully it could be a shock loss and should grow back eventually. However, if over harvesting is the cause, unlikely in your case considering history, then regrowth will not occur. Continue using minoxidil and be patient for time being. 
Hope this helps.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

You will not know if this is shock loss or an over-harvested donor area for at least 6 months. 3600 FUE grafts requires a normal donor density and is probably the meximum amount that can be harvested in your lifetime.

Bald patches on donor area (Photo)

Answers (4)